吐哈盆地中二叠世古气候重建:来自木化石年轮的证据

收集木化石年轮数据有助于古气候重建工作.首次通过对吐哈盆地北东缘中二叠统塔尔郎组中发现的木化石的年轮统计分析,还原了吐哈盆地中二叠世的古气候演化过程.木化石的年轮分析表明:该区中二叠世整体处于季节性明显的北亚热带,气候整体相对温暖,但出现过间歇性相对炎热的气候.木化石较低的晚材率以及部分年轮早材到晚材为过渡突变,反映树木生长时期季节性非常明显,夏季湿热,冬季干冷,为典型的亚热带季风型气候.木化石具较高的平均敏感度 (MS平均可达0.4),显示树木生长期间受季风气候的影响,环境非常不稳定,每年大气降水量有很大的变化.连续年轮宽度的宽窄不一以及伪年轮的存在,表明当时气候变化频繁,整体较为湿润,但也具有干旱-半干旱的波动.      

辽西北票中晚侏罗世髫髻山组木化石的古气候、古环境和古生态意义

木化石在陆地生态系统古气候、古环境和古生态研究方面具有重要的意义。辽西北票地区中晚侏罗世髫髻山组保存有数量丰富、类型多样且解剖构造保存完好的木化石。基于北票木化石树木年轮、树桩直径等数据计算了木材早材与晚材的比率(E/L),并推算了松柏类树木古树高。通过已有测量的树木年轮直径,应用Niklas(1994)和Mosbrugger(1994)两种方法恢复了化石森林中松柏类树木的古树高约为25m。推断中晚侏罗世的裸子植物森林树木生长的环境为以火山岩和湖相沉积为主,降水丰富。推断髫髻山组属于温暖、湿润、季节性明显的亚热带到暖温带气候,有利于植物的生长与发育。木化石木材组织中呈现的特殊解剖构造包括假轮、创伤树脂道、年轮扭曲、虫孔等,也能够揭示辽西北票中晚侏罗世植物生长过程中的古气候与古环境状况。表明辽西北票地区中晚侏罗世古气候虽然有利于植物生长,但生长期间受到了火山喷发、虫害、大风、降温等多种不利气候变化的影响与干扰。     

分子钟假说与化石记录

进化是整个生命科学研究的核心和灵魂 ,而早期的生命演化在生物进化过程中具有重要地位 ,是科学界研究的前沿和热点问题。基于生物的遗传距离所建立的分子进化速率 ,可用于进一步推测不同生物类群在进化历史上的分歧时间。这一间接时间数据可与化石记录所反映的直接数据进行比较。分子钟研究为探究早期生命演化提供了一个新的途径 ,不仅可用来对基于化石记录的传统结论加以验证 ,同时对于化石记录不完整的生物类群起源历史的推测具有特殊意义。然而 ,利用分子钟方法所得出的不同门类起源时间总是早于化石记录 ,因此分子钟与化石记录的矛盾仍十分突出。文中综述了基于化石证据研究后生动物起源、寒武纪生命大爆发及被子植物起源等早期生命演化的研究进展 ,介绍并分析、讨论了分子钟方法及利用分子钟研究早期生命起源时间问题及其与化石记录间的矛盾 ,同时认为古DNA的证据有利于分子钟的校正     

A New Species of Tsuga (Pinaceae) based on Lignified Wood from the Late Miocene of Central Yunnan, China, and Its Paleoenvironmental Implications

A new species, Tsuga nanfengensis sp. nov. (Pinaceae), is described on the basis of lignified fossil wood from the late Miocene of the Xianfeng Basin, central Yunnan, southwestern China. Detailed observation of the fossil wood specimens show the following characteristics: distinct growth rings, absence of resin canals, uniseriate bordered pits in the radial wall of tracheids, ray tracheids and piceoid and cupressoid cross-field pits. These features indicate similarities to the wood of extant Tsuga canadensis, T. chinensis, and T. dumosa. According to the fossil record, Tsuga was present in Xundian County during the Miocene. Today Tsuga is drought intolerant, preferring wet conditions with no extant species growing naturally in Xundian County. The presence of Tsuga in the Miocene of Xundian County indicates a humid climate consistent with previous palaeoclimatic reconstructions showing a wetter and probably shorter dry season in the Miocene, relative to the present day. Therefore, the change in the local climate such as increasing aridity through the Miocene might explain the local extinction of Tsuga from central Yunnan.     

Characterization of chikusaku-eki and mokusaku-eki and its inhibitory effect on sapstaining fungal growth in laboratory scale

Chikusaku-eki and Mokusaku-eki are natural resources and acidic liquid by-products of bamboo and broad leaved trees charcoal burner. These products contain more than 200 ingredients, including phenols, poly phenols and acetic acids. These by-products were tested for their fungicidal activity against sapstaining fungi. There are no studies about the antifungal activity of Chikusaku-eki and Mokusaku-eki against wood staining fungi in the literature. According to the recent findings, this is the first report about the antifungal activity of Chikusaku-eki and Mokusaku-eki against wood staining fungi. These extracts were more effective against sapstaining fungi at minimum concentrations (0.10–1.0 %) used in 2 % (malt extract agar) medium. Three Chikusaku-eki (Chikusaku-eki-I, Chikusaku-eki-II and Chikusaku-eki-III) and 2 Mokusaku-eki (Mokusaku-eki-I, Mokusaku-eki-II) extracts were tested against 4 sapstaining fungal samples to evaluate the inhibition range on sapstaining fungal growth. Ophiostoma flexuosum, Ophiostoma tetropii, Ophiostoma polonicum and Ophiostoma ips were the sapstaining fungi used in this study against bamboo and wood extracts. The initial calibration of extracts was done by calculating the specific gravity, tar calculation and total organic content. The chloroform fractions of these extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and both the extracts contained 2,6 dimethoxy phenol, dehydroacetic acid and 2,3,5 trimethoxytoluene. Results revealed that compounds of Chikusaku-eki and Mokusaku-eki markedly inhibited fungal growth at lower concentration. The Chikusaku-eki and Mokusaku-eki have both antifungal, antioxidant properties and a potential to be used as natural preservative in wood industries. Wood slice tests displayed the effective role of both extracts in laboratory level.     

重庆綦江地质公园地质遗迹特征及其地质意义

綦江地质公园发育木化石、恐龙足迹、恐龙骨骼化石、鱼化石、沉积构造、丹霞地貌等地质遗迹景观,木化石和恐龙足迹为园区的导向型景观。木化石分布在侏罗系中统沙溪庙组(J2s)上部砂岩层中,砂岩层含钙质结核,在约300×200m2的砂岩层内共埋藏有60多根木化石,其中一半木化石为钙化作用形成。恐龙足迹集中分布在白垩系上统夹关组(K2j)砂泥岩层中,岩层发育交错层理、波痕和泥裂。在夹关组的3个层位中共发现329个恐龙足迹,其分别属于甲龙类、鸟脚类和兽脚类。园区地质遗迹分布在一套河湖相沉积层中,其形成于内陆河湖网形成之时(如木化石),并随着四川盆地周围的湖泊系统解体而发展(如恐龙足迹),最终随着河流由堆积作用为主的阶段转变为以侵蚀作用为主的阶段而减弱(如丹霞地貌)。白垩纪上统夹关组的恐龙足迹群形成于干热的环境,多类型的恐龙足迹集中分布反映了白垩纪晚期(夹关期)恐龙种群的丰富,恐龙足迹的发现为区域内寻找白垩系地层的恐龙骨骼化石提供了依据。     

Fossil coniferous wood from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota in western Liaoning,NE China: New material and palaeoclimate implications

The Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota, one of the most important Mesozoic lagerstätten in East Asia, is especially well-known for occurrences of fossil feathered dinosaurs and early angiosperms. However, the terrestrial biodiversity, especially the fossil wood record, is poorly known. In this study, several structurally preserved coniferous wood specimens from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation are investigated, based on collections from the Heichengzi Basin in Beipiao of western Liaoning, Northeast China. Four species referred to four genera of fossil wood are described, including Taxodioxylon heichengziense sp. nov., Thujoxylon beipiaoense sp. nov., Sciadopityoxylon liaoningense Ding and Protocedroxylon shengjinbeigouense sp. nov. These new records enlarge the fossil wood diversity of the Yixian Formation up to 10 species in 9 genera, and provide further insights into the forest vegetation composition of the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. Systematic analysis of the floral constitution indicates that the petrified forests of the Yixian Formation are dominated by conifers, represented by Araucariaceae, Podocarpaceae, Sciadopityaceae, Pinaceae and Cupressaceae in the western Liaoning region. Palaeoclimatical analysis of the fossil wood assemblage implies that the western Liaoning region was dominated by a cool temperate, wet and seasonal climate with variable interannual water supply in the western Liaoning region during the Early Cretaceous.     

云南元谋上新世秋枫化石的首次发现及古气候分析?

云南元谋盆地西部物茂盆地的湾堡土林和虎跳滩土林的晚上新世沙沟组地层大戟科秋枫属的秋枫（Bischofia javanica BL.）化石木。化石木木材由导管、纤维、射线组成。生长轮不明显。散孔材。径列复管孔（2~6，多2~4）甚多，单管孔较少，管孔团稀见。导管端壁具单穿孔。管间纹孔式互列。导管内侵填体丰富。轴向薄壁组织未见。木纤维壁薄，分隔。射线组织异形Ⅰ及Ⅱ。射线与导管间纹孔式为横列梯形及大圆形。孢粉分析表明元谋盆地晚上新世可能存在包括大戟科草本植物，而当前秋枫化石木的发现清楚地表明大戟科乔木植物的存在。秋枫为热带和亚热带常绿季雨林中的主要树种。秋枫化石木的发现指示元谋盆地当时的环境较现今湿润。     

The hunt for Precambrian fossils: An abbreviated genealogy of the science

In 1859, in his great work On the Origin of Species, Darwin repeatedly raised what he regarded to be the most serious problem facing his theory of evolution – the lack of fossils predating the rise of shelly invertebrates that marks the beginning of the Cambrian Period of geological time (550 Ma), an “inexplicable” absence that could be “truly urged as a valid argument” against his all-embracing synthesis. This missing early fossil record posed a major dilemma, for Darwin's theory demanded firm linkage from the less advanced to the more evolved, from primitive microbes to protozoans to the rich faunas of the basal Phanerozoic for which no fossil evidence was known. For more than 100 years, the history of Precambrian life stood out as one of the greatest unsolved problems in natural science. In recent decades, however, understanding of life's early evolution has changed markedly as the documented fossil record has been extended seven-fold to some 3500 Ma, an age more than three-quarters that of the planet. This long-sought solution to Darwin's dilemma was set in motion by a small vanguard of workers who blazed the trail in the 1950s and 1960s, just as their course was charted by a few prescient pioneers of the previous century. All workers today, including the 28 participants in the recently held World Summit on Ancient Microscopic Fossils, have roots that can be traced to the pathfinders of a half-century ago.     

青藏高原北缘玉门红柳峡硅化木成因及其揭示的早白垩世构造及环境

位于青藏高原北缘玉门盆地红柳峡一带的硅化木化石带是高原北缘地区唯一一处集中连片分布的白垩纪硅化木化石森林带,这种古生物的集群死亡和埋藏常常伴随地球演化灾变性构造事件.首次对该区域产出的硅化木特征及其赋存层位进行了报导,并进一步探讨了该区白垩纪原型盆地的早期演化以及硅化木的成因过程.结果表明:青藏高原北缘玉门盆地早白垩世经历了湖盆的发育、扩展和收缩3个阶段.在早白垩世早期,玉门盆地开始发育并逐渐扩展,该时期气候高温潮湿,在盆地滨湖区域生长了巨大的松柏类乔木森林带;在约102~120 Ma的早白垩世期间,随着阿尔金断裂再次复活,玉门盆地发生大规模的火山喷发,导致盆地植被大面积焚烧死亡和埋藏,最终碳化硅化形成现今集中连片分布的硅化木化石带.早白垩世以来,随着阿尔金断裂持续的左行走滑和向北东方向的扩展,玉门盆地被不断抬升并发生构造旋转,使得下沟组硅化木得以重见天日.      

Species as the basic units in evolution and biodiversity: Recognition of species in the Recent and geological past as exemplified by larger foraminifera

Methods for species recognition and delimitation based solely on morphological characters are presented. Species can be described as pools of contemporarily interconnected genotypes possessing their own history leading to evolutionary lines. Interconnection in genotypes is expressed by homogeneous phenotypes, but not in a one to one relation. The proof of interconnection by phenotypic homogeneity must be based on the four criteria ‘shape homogeneity’, ‘ontogenetic cohesion’, ‘homogeneous ecological niches’ and ‘evolutionary continuity’. While in all eukaryotes, three of the four – homogeneities in shape and ecological niches, ontogenetic cohesion – can be checked both in living individuals and fossil forms, the detection of birth (speciation), lifetime and death (ending) of a species, factors that determine an evolutionary line, is only possible in organisms with a fossil record. Speciation can be grouped in split-off and split-up processes. Split-off processes where a daughter species derives from a mother species are easier to recognize than split-up processes where several species originate more or less contemporaneously within a geological time interval. This makes it difficult to delimitate species when they are in a reticulate speciation process in which hybridization between subspecies is a common feature. In contrast to evolutionary continuity, homogeneities in shape and ecological niches as well as ontogenetic cohesion are more difficult to recognize in fossil species due to low specimen numbers, incomplete preservation caused by taphonomic processes and the fragmentary representation of fossil environments in the sedimentary strata, hindering the acquisition of gradients. Nevertheless, the four criteria enable the recognition of species without molecular–genetic investigations. Only the combination of these criteria makes identification of species in the fossil record possible.     

Diversity of the Woody Vegetation of Gondwanan Southern Africa

The flora of Gondwanan southern Africa is represented in the rock record by micro-fossils, macro-fossils and petrified woods. All these types of fossils are seldom preserved together in any one particular facies because of taphonomic and preservational biases. In order to obtain as accurate a picture as possible of the woody vegetation, both the fossil woods and other macroplant fossils, such as leaf impressions, fructifications and cuticle, of woody plants, have been correlated. This was done for each Formation in the Karoo Supergroup in order to illustrate the changes in diversity of woody vegetation over time. Sediments of the Karoo Supergroup represent the terrestrial fossil record of the period Upper Carboniferous to the Lower Cretaceous when Africa finally separated from South America. In the Upper Carboniferous to Lower Permian (Dwyka Formation) there are at least five described genera of woods from South Africa and Namibia. Early to Middle Permian woods (Ecca Group) are a little more diverse with six genera, representing the glossopterids, cordaitaleans and possibly other seed fern groups. Late Permian to Early Triassic (Beaufort Group) woods show very little change in diversity in spite of the major floral and biotic turnover evident from the rest of the fossil record. Although the Late Triassic (Molteno Formation) macro-flora has been shown to be an example of explosive diversification, the generally poorly preserved woods do not reflect this. Lower Jurassic fossils (Clarens Formation) are also poorly preserved but have araucarian characteristics. Early Cretaceous woods represent the Araucariaceae, Cheirolepidiaceae and Podocarpaceae with a number of species. The diversity of the woods has not changed as much as the rest of the floral components in southern Africa from the Late Carboniferous to the Early Cretaceous. Possible reasons for this apparent stasis are the conservative nature of wood, functional restrictions, limitations of suitable conditions for petrifications and the fact that very little research has been done on southern African woods.     

Feature

The fossil record contains many examples of the interactions that occurred between organisms. Thus, Cenozoic molluscs are commonly found encrusted by bryozoans, serpulid worms and balanid barnacles; ancient scleractinian corals and echinoderms may show unusual growth patterns as a response to organisms that have embedded themselves into the host's skeleton; fossil bones can preserve indications of biting, gnawing and trampling; and ancient leaves may retain traces of bite marks and leaf miners. Other evidence of interactions may be more cryptic or difficult to interpret, none more so than the evidence of ancient parasitism.     

Tree-ring dated landslide movements and their relationship to seismic events in southwestern Montana, USA

To determine periods of incremental landslide movement and their possible relationship to regional seismic events, the tree-ring records of 32 tilted and damaged conifers at three sites on landslides in the Gravelly Range of southwestern Montana were examined. Several signs of disturbance in the tree-ring record indicating landslide movement were observed. Commonly, the tree-ring record displayed a marked reduction in annual ring width and/or the reaction wood formation. The tree-ring records from the three landslide sites indicate multiple periods of movement during the 20th century. Many of the periods of movement indicated by the strongest signals (most trees) at the sites occurred the year following significant earthquakes in the region. Those seismic events for which evidence in the tree-ring record was found at one or more of the three sites are the 1983 Borah Peak, 1959 Hebgen Lake, 1935 Helena, 1925 Clarkson, and 1908 Virginia City earthquakes. This study suggests that many of the landslide movements were triggered by, or are coincident with, earthquakes as much as 200 km from the study area.     

Sensitivity of cool-temperate forests and their fossil pollen record to rapid temperature change

Simulations of cool-temperate forest growth in response to climatic change using the JABOWA computer model show that a decrease of 600 growing degree-days (equivalent to a 2°C decrease in mean annual temperature) causes red spruce (Picea rubens) to replace sugar maple (Acer saccharum) as the dominant tree. These changes are delayed 100–200 yr after the climatic cooling, producing gradual forest changes in response to abrupt temperature changes, and reducing the amplitude of response to brief climatic events. Soils and disturbances affect the speed and magnitude of forest response. The delayed responses are caused by the difference in sensitivity of adult trees and younger stages. The length of the delay depends on the life history characteristics of the dominant species. Delayed responses imply that fossil pollen deposits, even if they faithfully record the abundances of trees in forests, may not be able to resolve climatic changes within 100–200 yr, or to record very brief climatic events. This explains why pollen deposits do not as yet show responses to climatic changes during the past 100 yr. Only the Little Ice Age, which lasted several centuries, caused sufficient forest change to be recorded in fossil pollen, and only at certain sites.     

A New Fossil Termite(Isoptera,Stolotermitidae,Stolotermes)from the Early Miocene of Otago,New Zealand

<正>The forewing of a termite from Early Miocene lake sediments in Otago,southern New Zealand is figured and described.It exhibits the generic characters of the damp-wood termite Stolotermes Hagen,but differs from forewings of the known species in size and venation pattern and is described as Stolotermes kupe sp.nov.S.kupe represents the first confident record of fossil Stolotermitidae and extends the fossil record of the family back to the Early Miocene.It also is the first direct evidence of fossil Isoptera from New Zealand,though silicified termite faecal pellets,referable to Kalotermes brauni,have been previously described.S.kupe indicates that Stolotermitidae has been present in the Australasian region since at least the Early Miocene.     

Protophyllocladoxylon jingyuanense sp.nov.,a Gymnospermous Wood of the Serpukhovian (Late Mississippian) from Gansu,Northwest China

<正>A new species of gymnospermous fossil wood,Protophyllocladoxylon jingyuanense sp.nov., is described from the lower part of the Tsingyuan Formation(Serpukhovian/Late Mississippian),near the coal mine of Ciyao,Gansu,northwestern China.The specimen is preserved only in silicified secondary xylem,while growth rings are absent.Pits in radial tracheidal walls are araucaroid in type, uniseriate,occasionally biseriate.Xylem rays are homogeneous,uniseriate,occasionally biseriate. Cross-field pits are simple,large,one to two in number.Axial parenchyma is absent.The anatomical characters and geographic distribution of Protophyllocladoxylon woods through geological ages are documented.Those species with axial parenchyma and without growth rings live in warm climate, whereas the species without axial parenchyma and with growth rings are present either in warm or cool climate.The ideal living climate for Protophyllocladoxylon woods is warm and wet.Our new species,as a fossil wood of Early Carboniferous,is likely the earliest known species of Protophyllocladoxylon.     

Sedimentological and palaeoenvironmental study from Waregi Hill in the Hiwegi Formation (early Miocene) on Rusinga Island,Lake Victoria,Kenya

Palaeontological deposits on Rusinga Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya, provide a rich record of floral and faunal evolution in the early Neogene of East Africa. Yet, despite a wealth of available fossil material, previous palaeoenvironmental reconstructions from Rusinga have resulted in widely divergent results, ranging from closed forest to open woodland environments. Presented here is a detailed study of the sedimentology and fauna of the early Miocene Hiwegi Formation at Waregi Hill on Rusinga Island, Kenya. New sedimentological analyses demonstrate that the Hiwegi Formation records an environmental transition from the bottom to the top of the formation. Lower in the Hiwegi Formation, satin-spar calcite after gypsum in siltstone deposits are interpreted as evidence for open hypersaline lakes. Moving up-section, carbonate deposits – interpreted previously as evidence of aridity – are actually diagenetic calcite cements, which preserve root systems of trees, suggesting a more closed environment; further up-section, the uppermost palaeosol layer contains abundant root traces and tree-stump casts, previously reported as evidence of a closed-canopy forest. These newly interpreted environmental differences are reflected by differences in faunal composition and abundance data from Hiwegi Formation fossil sites R1 and R3. Taken together, this work suggests that divergent palaeoenvironmental reconstructions in previous studies may have been informed by time-averaging across multiple environments. Further, results demonstrate that during the early Miocene local or regional habitat heterogeneity already existed. Rusinga’s Hiwegi Formation varied both spatially and temporally, which challenges the interpretation that a broad forested environment stretched across the African continent during the early Neogene, transitioning later to predominately open landscapes that characterize the region today. This result has important implications for interpretations of the selective pressures faced by early Miocene fauna, including Rusinga Island’s well-preserved fossil primates.     

Evidence for plant-arthropod interactions in the fossil record

From a study of extant arthropods (particularly insects) and plants it is clear that there are many close interactions between the two groups, which must have co-evolved over a considerable period of time. Surprisingly, the fossil record of such interactions has hardly been studied and has therefore often been assumed to be non-existent. Interactions include feeding (e.g. leaf and spore/pollen feeding, leaf mining and wood boring), shelter (e.g. the formation of galls), transport, and reproduction (flower pollination). There is fossil evidence for all of these interactions from the time that arthropods and plants first colonized the land. The shortage of data results from lack of study rather than a real absence of interactions.     

“硅化”不是“树化”“化石”不能称“化玉”对“树化玉”名词的商榷

硅化木,又称树化石、木化石,无论它的内在品质多么优良,依然是“化石”身份,不能把优质硅化木称为“树化玉”。因为按照所谓“化”的含义,“树化玉”就只能解释为“玉”变成了“树”,或解释为“玉”具有了“树”的一些性质和特征,这显然是不对的。再如,古生物化石也不能称为“古生物化玉”。所以将硅化木称“树化玉”是欠妥的。